2. Follow-up mechanism of the Beijing Platform for Action

To deal with the new issues raised by the Beijing Platform for Action as subjects to be solved by a target date of 2000 by member states, the "Plan for Gender Equality 2000:the National Plan of Action for Promotion of a Gender-Equal Society by the Year 2000."was formulated as a national plan of action. In accordance with this plan, the Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality, as the focal point of the initiative, has been comprehensively promoting various measures in coordination with government ministries and agencies. (please refer to page 8). The Headquarters periodically monitors the progress of the plan, and has published three reports since l997 on the present status of gender-equality, including the most recent titled "the Present Status of Gender Equality and Measures-Report on the Plan for Gender Equality 2000( the so called White Paper on Gender Equality). The White Paper has been made public after it was reported to the meeting of Headquarters for the Promotion of Gender Equality and to the Cabinet, in line with the Headquarters' responsibility to follow up the Beijing Platform for Action .

Though the same mechanism does not exist for the Social Development Summit and other conferences, the results of each conference is fed back to related ministries and agencies through a meeting to report or other measures.

The Organizational Structure of
the National Machinery in Japan